Matt A. Barreto is a senior UCLA faculty member who has used his platform to defend pro-Palestinian encampments and oppose university efforts to restore order on campus. As a featured speaker at faculty protests, Barreto has publicly backed student demonstrators involved in disruptive and increasingly radical actions.

While his broader academic work includes civic engagement and equity issues, his recent appearances signal an alarming shift toward faculty legitimization of campus extremism. His participation in high-profile protests makes him a key figure in the faculty resistance to administrative authority and federal accountability at UCLA.